Massine historyAny videos available?

I'd like to find out more about Massine's choreography - does any one know of any videos that are available - and that they would recommend - of "genuine" Massine ballets - ie ones in which we can be pretty sure that it is truly his choreography, preferably done under his direct control (rather than a possibly modified reconstruction), and if possible of the earlier works?

I'm not sure if this should be under Videos, or Choreographers, so please move if necessary.

Massine can be a bit tricky to find -- not too many companies dance his work, and so it doesn't surface on many new videos. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Believe it or not, The Red Shoes is a good resource -- Massine choreographed most of the Red Shoes ballet, and appears in the film as the ballet master, which gives you a sense of his own physicality.

One of his best known works is Gaite Parisienne, and there is an intriguing DVD of this work, performed by the Ballet Russe between 1944-54. You need to beware that this film was edited together from footage taken over the course of several years, so that performers will switch in the midst of the work -- this is not a through-performed example. It is, however, one of the best examples of Danilova's work (as the glove seller), alongside Frederick Franklin (as the Baron) and Leon Daniellian (the Peruvian). It's a fabulous documentation of their style -- one that we don't see much of currently.

These are some of the most 'authentic' works I've been able to track down. If you have access to the New York Public Library dance collection, you might search out a Dance in America video that the Joffrey made in the 1970's -- it has excerpts from Massine's Parade, including the acrobats duet and the Chinese conjuerer's solo (off the top of my head I can't remember if there is footage of the two managers, or just photographs)

One of his best known works is Gaite Parisienne, and there is an intriguing DVD of this work, performed by the Ballet Russe between 1944-54. You need to beware that this film was edited together from footage taken over the course of several years, so that performers will switch in the midst of the work -- this is not a through-performed example. It is, however, one of the best examples of Danilova's work (as the glove seller), alongside Frederick Franklin (as the Baron) and Leon Daniellian (the Peruvian). It's a fabulous documentation of their style -- one that we don't see much of currently.

What amazed me was that in the extras on the DVD it was explained that the guy that photographed all the tiny little clips that were spliced into the final film is that he evidently went back in the theater with a recorder and recorded what we would know today as the audio track. So the music is the real deal too from a performance. And somehow he got the audio synched up with the master video. What a job! It boggles the mind.

There's also a relative new release (although the performances are from French TV a few years ago) of Le Tricorne (The Three-Cornered Hat). Massine did the choreography while the stage curtain, sets and costumes were by Pablo Picasso.

There's also a relative new release (although the performances are from French TV a few years ago) of Le Tricorne (The Three-Cornered Hat). Massine did the choreography while the stage curtain, sets and costumes were by Pablo Picasso.

That's great - thank you very much everyone, for that wonderful information. I can get buying DVDs now!

If I remember correctly from the credits to Ballets Russes, there is a private archive of footage held somewhere (New York?) with a lot of early clips in, but I guess that a lot of that is staying private - for the moment at least. I also read that Massine revived works (Le Tricorne, Le Beau Danube, Parade and Pulcinella) with the Joffrey between 1969 - 1974, and I was hoping that these had been filmed, but it seems not - at least, not in totality.

Though I dont have access to the New York Public Library dance collection, I shall try and serch out the Joffrey Dance in America video, as I'm particularly keen to see Parade (or parts thereof, any parts) - at least I've got a name to search for now.

Also, here's a very interesting review of a performance by the Ballet de l'Opera National de Bordeauz and Ballet Christine Hoyos, at the Chatelet in Paris in 2003 as part of a Picasso and Ballet program.

I did a google search using just "Parade" + Massine and got lots of results.

Believe it or not, The Red Shoes is a good resource -- Massine choreographed most of the Red Shoes ballet, and appears in the film as the ballet master, which gives you a sense of his own physicality.

‘The Red Shoes’ is indeed a good resource, but it was actually Helpmann who choreographed the Ballet of the Red Shoes, although Massine choreographed his own role. Moira Shearer and Massine do a brief bit from ‘La Boutique Fantasque.’ As an actor, Massine is a vivid presence and you do indeed get a sense of his magnetism. He's in 'The Tales of Hoffmann,' too, as I recall.

And if we think that Massine is a difficult choreographer to find, Helpmann is almost impossible.

I saw two of his works - "Miracle in the Gorbals" and "Hamlet"....of the two I liked his Hamlet best; it was hallucinatory. All the incidents of his life (out of context) were portrayed rapidly and Helpmann's usual histrionics as a performer were used to good advantage here.